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Two great tastes?
LEGO Star Wars is cute, but hardly the best of both worlds
BY MITCH KRPATA

You often hear people express a reverence for Star Wars through the prism of their childhood. For example, "Star Wars made me want to be a filmmaker," or "Between the special editions and The Phantom Menace, it's like George Lucas is trying to destroy my happiest childhood memories." This is not to suggest that the series is childish – the only people waiting in line for Revenge of the Sith are adults – but that the films still have a unique ability to charm even the most hardened cynics. In a nifty bit of licensing alchemy, Eidos has now released LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, which combines the galaxy far, far away with the LEGO company's ubiquitous building blocks.

It sounds like an explosion at the nostalgia factory, but LEGO Star Wars is actually a retelling of the recent Episodes I through III, and just happens to look like the most kick-ass LEGO set ever assembled. From the tropics of Naboo to the volcano that serves as the backdrop to Episode III's climax, the world of LEGO Star Wars has an agreeably chunky, plastic sheen. Watching characters lope through the levels on their stubby LEGO legs is a hoot, and the juxtaposition of the blocky visuals with the films' authentic orchestral score lends a certain ironic gravitas. The presentation is really the draw here – it's nearly impossible not to be won over by the charm LEGO Star Wars exudes.

In terms of its narrative comprehensiveness, this is definitely the Cliffs Notes version of the first three Star Wars chapters. Each of the films is represented by only a handful of levels, and each level takes maybe 15 minutes to complete. Cutscenes are brief, and consist mostly of characters smiling or frowning – there's no dialogue, and only the occasional grunt. It's a bit odd, given that the industry standard now is to blow millions of dollars on voice acting and Hollywood-quality dramatic scenes. Then again, I'm open to the idea that too much LEGO Samuel L. Jackson might be an overload.

The game is essentially a dungeon crawl, and an almost excruciatingly linear one at that. Though you can play as dozens of characters from the Star Wars universe, there are only a couple of character classes. The Jedi wield lightsabers and can manipulate the environment using the Force, droids can open locked doors, and most of the rest of the characters can use a grappling hook in designated areas. There's not any room for new and exciting uses of any of these powers beyond what the designers intended.

LEGO Star Wars is clearly a kids' game, and it's not that I'm holding anything against it for that reason. But there are certain things we've come to expect from this type of action-adventure game: little things, like characters grabbing onto ledges instead of sliding off them into a pit; and big things, like free control over the game camera. Too many of these sorts of user-friendly features are missing. While LEGO Star Wars is technically 3-D, it feels no more evolved than a 16-bit platformer. The levels often seem constrictive, and the inelegant one-button combat requires no skill at all. This is to say nothing of the disastrous – but thankfully, rare – vehicular missions.

Where the game's simplicity works in its favor is primarily in the co-op mode. Two-player hack-n-slash gameplay may not represent the cutting edge in gaming, but it's an appealing throwback. Players have infinite lives, and there are no power-ups, so it's really a matter of pressing the attack button until the end of the level. It's a good way to keep everything moving.

Replay value derives from a neat "free-play" feature. After completing a level in story mode, you can play it again and switch between several characters at will. There are 10 hidden LEGO pieces to find in each level, most of which can only be reached with a certain class of character. So, you can grapple across a gap with a blaster character, switch to a Jedi and use the Force to erect a free-floating platform, and then have Jar Jar Binks jump a large gap from the platform to a LEGO piece. Finding all of the pieces in one level lets you look at a LEGO version of a Star Wars vehicle, which is probably not the most exciting result.

While LEGO Star Wars' breeziness and light-hearted attitude are welcome (even though I certainly don't remember a disco-dancing scene in Attack of the Clones), in some ways the game gets a free pass solely because of the brand names slapped on it. If you don't crack a grin simply seeing the LEGO and Star Wars logos together, then there is no joy in your life; if you can spend a significant amount of time playing this game without lamenting its flaws, then you are far too forgiving.

Score: 6.0 (out of 10)


Issue Date: April 29 - May 5, 2005
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